Choosing a shade is the part of buying clip-ins online that people worry about most. Get it right and the extensions disappear into your own hair. Get it wrong and they sit on top of it.
The good news is that a few simple rules take most of the guesswork out. This is how we help clients choose at the Clip-In Bar in our Walton Street salon in Chelsea, and how to do the same at home with our Volume Edit and Full Edit clip-ins.
Match your mid-lengths and ends, not your roots
This is the most important rule. Clip-ins sit under your own hair, from below the parting down, so the part of your hair they need to match is the mid-lengths and ends.
Roots are often darker, and ends are often lighter from sun, colour or simply age. If you match your roots, your clip-ins will usually look too dark next to the rest of your hair. Hold a section of your hair out from below your ear and look at the colour from there down.
Check your colour in daylight
Bathroom lights, evening lamps and phone filters all change how hair looks. Most indoor light makes hair look warmer or darker than it really is.
Stand next to a window in daylight, with no filter, and look at your hair in a mirror or take a photo. Compare it to the shade photos on the product page in the same light.
Our 9 clip-in shades
Both The Volume Edit and The Full Edit come in the same 9 multi-tonal shades, developed in our Chelsea salon:
- Hyde (FV0)
- Knightsbridge (FV1)
- Dover (FV4)
- Soho (FV5)
- Marylebone (FV6), a soft mocha brunette
- Eaton (FV9)
- Belgravia (FV12/19)
- Notting Hill (FV14)
- Portobello (FV34)
Each shade is multi-tonal, so it already has some of the depth and movement of natural hair rather than one flat colour. You can see them all on the clip-in extensions collection.
Eaton is currently sold out in both sets, and Soho is sold out in The Volume Edit. You can join the waitlist when you pick the shade, or text us a photo and we will suggest the closest in-stock blend.
Why we mix two or three shades
Natural hair is never one flat colour. Even if one shade looks close, mixing two or three gives you a blend that looks like it grew from your own head. It is what we do in the salon every day.
These are the pairings we use most:
- Belgravia + Dover + Portobello for bright, lived-in blonde.
- Portobello + Notting Hill + Dover for soft beige blonde.
- Notting Hill + Dover for a cooler sandy blonde.
- Soho + Marylebone for rich brunette with movement (Soho is available in The Full Edit).
- Knightsbridge + Marylebone + Soho for deep, glossy brunette.
Dover works with almost everything, and is best with Portobello and Belgravia.
With The Volume Edit (£110), the easiest way to mix is to buy two sets in two shades. It is our tip for the most natural shade dimension, and you can choose how many wefts of each to wear.
Shade matching balayage and highlighted hair
Balayage and highlights are where mixing really comes into its own. Your hair might be darker underneath and much lighter on top and around your face, so no single shade will match all of it.
- Look at the lightest and darkest parts of your mid-lengths and ends.
- Choose a shade for each, and mix them through your head as you clip in.
- Put lighter wefts higher and towards the front, where your hair is lighter, and deeper shades underneath.
If you are planning colour as well as extensions, read our guide to hair extensions and balayage. For fitted extensions matched in the salon, see how we colour match hair extensions.
Common shade mistakes
- Choosing from a screen in the evening. Screens and indoor light both shift colour. Compare in daylight.
- Going too dark to be safe. A shade that is too deep shows as a dark band under lighter hair. If you are between two, mixing usually works better than going darker.
- Forgetting recent colour. If you have just had a toner or highlights, match your hair as it is now, not as it was.
- Only looking at the front. The back of your hair is where most of the wefts sit, and it is often a different tone from the pieces around your face.
Still not sure? Send us a photo
Text the salon a photo of your hair in daylight on 07752 143 822, or send it on WhatsApp, and one of our stylists will tell you your shade or blend. It's free. Show the back and sides as well as the front, and let us know if you have recently had colour or toner.
If you would rather be matched in person, come to the Clip-In Bar at 164 Walton Street. Clip-in shade matching in salon is free too.
Shop clip-ins
- The Volume Edit: 18 inch, 5 pieces, 50g, for fine hair and everyday fullness, £110.
- The Full Edit: 22 inch, 7 pieces, 110g, can be cut to your length, £290.
- Keep the colour true with The Complete Kit: our award-winning Extensions Shampoo, Conditioner and Extender, £90.
Your questions
How do I know which clip-in shade to buy?
Match the colour of your mid-lengths and ends in daylight, then find the closest shade on the product page. If you are between two, mix them. If you're still not sure, text us a photo on 07752 143 822 for free shade help.
Should I match my roots or my ends?
Your mid-lengths and ends. That is where clip-ins sit. Roots are often darker and will lead you to a shade that is too deep.
Can I mix two shades of clip-ins?
Yes, and we recommend it. Most of our clients wear two or three shades mixed together, because natural hair is never one flat colour.
What if my hair has highlights or balayage?
Choose a shade for the lighter parts and one for the deeper parts, and mix them as you clip in, with lighter pieces towards the top and front. A photo to our stylists is the quickest way to get it right.
Is shade help really free?
Yes. Our photo shade match and in-salon clip-in shade match are both free.
New to clip-ins? Our clip-in hair extensions guide covers the basics.
Find your shade
Shop our clip-ins and extensions haircare online, with free UK delivery over £50. Find your shade: shop The Volume Edit, or text us a photo for free shade help first.
Prefer to be matched in person? Book a free consultation at our Walton Street salon in Chelsea.
